Managers' Survey: Interviewees Flunking Etiquette 101

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  1

  bruce@...

  04/23/08 | Report as spam

  What are they thinking?

  I've been interviewing for nearly a month to fill an outside sales rep position and a marketing manager position in a health care related company. These are both professional type position, yet one rep candidate had her cell phone on, it rang and she answered it!! Another sales rep candidate showed up in black denim pants, a striped long sleeve shirt over a dark blue t-shirt with the collar open and no tie, Birkenstock-type shoes and grey socks, and, to top it off, a large tongue pin or whatever they call those things. I also have received numerous resumes and cover letters with numberous gross spelling errors and even my name wrong. I've heard that Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers are motivated differently, but this is incredible. I crave to speak to someone who can actually converse in an intelligent manner without many "ya know" and "sorta" and "kinda".

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  2

  shoppingcarty

  04/24/08 | Report as spam

  I can spell!!!

  Where is your company Bruce? I am looking for a job, don't wear Birkenstocks, and don't have a piercing in my tongue!

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  3

  dnorton@...

  04/25/08 | Report as spam

  "Numberous spelling errors"???!!!

  Kind of ironic, no?
  
  But I know what you mean, and wholeheartedly agree.

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  4

  ptigirl

  04/24/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Managers' Survey: Interviewees Flunking Etiquette 101

  wow, I thought that I was going overboard.

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  5

  Konini

  04/25/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Managers' Survey: Interviewees Flunking Etiquette 101

  What can we say?

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  6

  ldwatson

  04/25/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Managers' Survey: Interviewees Flunking Etiquette 101

  Incredible but not surprising.

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  7

  nancy.carlson@...

  04/25/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Managers' Survey: Interviewees Flunking Etiquette 101

  While I understand that bringing a child to an interview should be avoided if at all possible, we should remember that some single parents can't afford child care and perhaps couldn't find someone to take care of their child during the interview. Depending on the specific situation, we should cut these interviewees some slack on this one.

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  8

  ms geek

  04/25/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Managers' Survey: Interviewees Flunking Etiquette 101

  I guess I should just give up on waiting for a thank you letter!

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  9

  Bebedo

  04/25/08 | Report as spam

  Hypocrisy: Manager's Etiquette?

  While I agree wholeheartedly with the premise of this piece, having myself been subjected to several HR interviewing tragi-comedies, I would also like to point out that hiring personnel have often been extremely rude.
  I've had personal experience with HR personnel promising calls and then not hearing from them; no courtesy updates on the hiring status, no communications, etc. During the interview process, some were extremely unprepared or even considerably late.
  Respect is a 2-way street. You must give some, to get some.
  If one does not receive respect during the interview process, actually working there could very well be worse. An interview is the company's time to shine as well as the applicant's.
  
  Follow the Golden Rule. It works.

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  orcriss

  04/25/08 | Report as spam

  Inflated sense of self importance

  Are you serious?
  You are upset because an HR manager doesn't go out of their way to keep you posted?
  Who wants a job, the HR manager or you?
  That manager has dozens of issues to deal with besides spoonfeeding you. If you want to know whats going on, put down your XBOX controller and call. you probably expected to be thanked for showing up for the interview.
  
  
  Grow up.

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  11

  ebiron

  04/25/08 | Report as spam

  Do you make under $75k a year?

  Wow, lighten up a bit, he does have a point. Having been interviewed for high paying positions, i have seen HR purposely go out of their way to present their best face when interviewing someone they really want. It is neither uncommon or unusual for an HR dept to also involve R&D V.P.'s (as in my case) and manufacturing to accompany the interview.
  
  Now does that take away from the fact that the person being interviewed is also on display? No it doesn't, but it in no way discounts any unfavorable actions taken by the HR dept. and since this is the first face any potential employee sees of the company, it must also leave a lasting impression of professionalism.

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  12

  orcriss

  04/25/08 | Report as spam

  You're missing the point

  The article was about applicants not observing even the basic rules of interviewing ettiquette. Do you think you would have been taken to meet any of the dept heads if you had not first presented yourself well? The responsilbilty for making a good impression is yours first.
  I got a little carried away, but when I read what the poster regarded as rude behavior of hiring managers, ie not being provided with status reports and coutesy calls, I realized that that attitude is what is behind the decline that the article bemoans. Unless you have been recruited, you are asking them for consideration. They don't owe you anyhting. Y'ers especially just can't get their minds around that.

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  ddruckma

  04/28/08 | Report as spam

  Professionalism

  orcriss, I think your comments is very much out of place and I might go as far as to say quite unprofessional.
  
  Given the fact that the potential employee has to keep up appearances and invest, I would consider it basic courtesy for the company representative to do the same. I for one wouldn't want to work for someone with your attitude.
  
  Thank you for reading.

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  orcriss

  04/28/08 | Report as spam

  Good Luck out there

  I'm unprofessional for tying to get you to see the world as it is, instead of how you think it should be. OK. This forum is not an interview environment and I am blunt here, but I'm just trying to get you to wake up. If you want to complain about the hiring manager, go ahead. You're still the one looking for a job, and there will be another candidate here interviewing tomorrow. While you are complaining to your mom that I haven't given you a courtesy call, I have already hired the candidate who called me twice to follow up. That's called inititative, and it impresses employers. I run a great department. Our employee satisfaction and longevity numbers are in the top quartile of the Corp. If you want to be a part of the team, you have to show me what you bring to the table. And no, that's not what your resume does, that's what I get from looking in your eyes and listening to you speak.

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  15

  tudor.montescu

  04/28/08 | Report as spam

  the explanation for Mr. O. here

  No O., you are unprofessional for not realizing that it all depends on the premise. If you're sorting out thousands of applicants for a McDonald's position, then it's ok if you don't keep them posted.
  
  On the other hand, if you're recruiting for a more important position and you have called a person whom is not actively looking for a job (rather the other way around) but does let you present an opportunity, well, then tables change. The recruiter must put on the best face and cater to the needs of the guy they want.
  
  Because otherwise, tomorrow the guy will remain where he already is (jobs looking for him not the other way around), while _the recruiter_ will be looking for a job!

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  16

  fumcsecty

  04/25/08 | Report as spam

  Hypocrisy: Manager's Etiquette

  Perhaps HR departments do leave a bad impression, but if you are not at the top of your game for the interview, you won't even get your foot in the door. You must approach an interview with an enthuiastic, postivie outlook, as well as minding the p's and q's noted in the article. You also need to overlook unfavorable impressions from the HR department/manager. As an office manager, I understand late and unprepared when various events/issues suddenly appear that take priority over everything else. All of us who've been in that situation must make a decision as to what takes precedence. For my part, I appreciate the understanding shown by the individual. That leaves a very favorable impression.

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  17

  KBlack01

  04/25/08 | Report as spam

  Two way street and a Thank You!!!!

  I would tend to agree. If the business is serious about filling the position they need me as much as I need them. I have worked hard on my education, skills, and my qualifications so I am interviewing them as much as they are interviewing me. In many cases there have been places where I felt I wasted my time as the hiring managers or HR were inappropriate, late, rude, or confrontational. This implies what the workplace is like and is probably not, given the choice, a place I would wish to work.
  
  On the other hand I also try to fulfill my own expectations. A thank you letter, good communication, proper attire, and honest representation regardless of what the hiring managers are like. These days I have noticed these things go much farther than they did in the past. Those who are not following proper etiquette are making my life much better and ensuring I have more choice so I have to say: Thank you!!!! Keep up the attitude!!

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  18

  carnold

  04/26/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Managers' Survey: Interviewees Flunking Etiquette 101

  I've seen everything from showing up VERY late and not apologizing, dirt on the front of their clothes, sweat pants and dirty sneakers. If this is how they show respect for the interviewer and their organization, then what are they like when they DO get the job??

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  19

  sathyaramanav

  05/02/08 | Report as spam

  RE: Managers' Survey: Interviewees Flunking Etiquette 101

  43 percent have had candidates use profanity
  
  43% profanity appears to be extreme . I dont agree with these numbers .

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  20

  Julie O'Malley

  05/05/08 | Report as spam

  43% of managers, not candidates

  They're not saying that 43% of candidates use profanity, which would indeed be extreme and unbelievable. Rather, they're saying that 43% of hiring managers have interviewed a candidate who used profanity (presumably among dozens who did not). I don't think that's extreme.